U.S. patent application number 11/769155 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-17 for glass mounting structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to HINO MOTORS, LTD.. Invention is credited to Takeshi Akagawa, Yuuji Kinoshita.
Application Number | 20080012388 11/769155 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38777096 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080012388 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kinoshita; Yuuji ; et
al. |
January 17, 2008 |
Glass Mounting Structure
Abstract
The present invention aims to provide a glass mounting structure
that enables a glass to be mounted, preventing the breakage
thereof. A locking member 52 is provided at a glass 13 closing an
opening portion 11a in a cab 11, a mounting portion 54 opposed to
the locking member 52 is formed at the opening portion 11a, and a
locked member 57 is provided for mounting the glass 13 at the
opening portion 11a by locking the locking member 52 to the
mounting portion 54. The locked member 57 is held by the locking
member 52 in the state where the locking member 52 is movable with
respect to the mounting portion 54. The locking member 51 is
provided at least at either a lower portion inner surface or an
upper portion inner surface in a side portion of the windshield
glass 13.
Inventors: |
Kinoshita; Yuuji; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Akagawa; Takeshi; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
REED SMITH, LLP;ATTN: PATENT RECORDS DEPARTMENT
599 LEXINGTON AVENUE, 29TH FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10022-7650
US
|
Assignee: |
HINO MOTORS, LTD.
|
Family ID: |
38777096 |
Appl. No.: |
11/769155 |
Filed: |
June 27, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/201 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 1/02 20130101; B60J
1/005 20130101; B60J 1/006 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/201 |
International
Class: |
B60J 1/00 20060101
B60J001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 27, 2006 |
JP |
2006-175969 |
Claims
1. A glass mounting structure in which a locking member (52, 62) is
provided at a glass (13) for closing an opening portion (11a) in a
cab (11) comprising, a mounting portion (54) opposite the locking
member (52, 62) at the opening portion (11a), and a locked member
(57, 67) for mounting the glass (13) to the opening portion (11a)
by locking the locking member (52, 62) to the mounting portion
(54), wherein the locked member (57, 67) is held by the locking
member (52, 62) so that the locking member (52, 62) is movable with
respect to the mounting portion (54).
2. A glass mounting structure comprising a locking member (51, 52)
provided at a windshield glass (13) closing an opening portion
(11a) at a front portion of a cab (11), a mounting portion (53, 54)
opposite the locking member (51, 52) at the opening portion (11a),
the windshield glass (13) being mounted to the opening portion
(11a) by locking the locking member (51, 52) to the mounting
portion (53, 54), wherein the locking member (51, 52) is provided
at least at either a lower portion inner surface or an upper
portion inner surface in a side portion of the windshield glass
(13).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a glass mounting structure
in a cab of a truck.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In the prior art, a windshield glass is provided at an
opening of a cab front surface of a truck, and a side glass is
provided at an upper part of a door which closes a side opening
capable of being kept open. There has been disclosed a front
structure of a vehicle in which a front corner member extending
along a side portion of a windshield glass and a front portion of a
side glass is provided between the side portion of the windshield
glass and the front portion of the side glass and the width of the
front corner member is 40 to 58 mm when viewed by a driver seated
in a driver's seat of the vehicle is disclosed (for example, refer
to Patent Document 1). In this front structure of a vehicle, the
front corner member comprises a front pillar, a door frame, a glass
frame and a glass run, and the front pillar is formed in a
cylindrical shape by bonding both side portions of a pillar inner
panel and both side portions of a pillar outer panel.
[0005] The pillar inner panel has a pillar inner body provided
along the visual line direction of a driver seated on a driver's
seat of a truck, a first front flange formed integrally with the
pillar inner body at the front portion of the pillar inner body,
and a first rear flange formed integrally with the pillar inner
body at the rear portion of the pillar inner body. Also, the pillar
outer panel has a pillar outer body provided substantially opposite
to the front face of the door frame, a second front flange formed
integrally with the pillar outer body at the front portion of the
pillar outer body, and a second rear flange formed integrally with
the pillar outer body at the rear portion of the pillar outer body.
A front overlap portion is formed by bonding the pillar outer
surface of the first front flange and the pillar inner surface of
the second front flange. Also, an adhesive is filled in a gap
between the front overlap portion and the inner surface of the
windshield glass, and the side portion of the windshield glass is
mounted to the front pillar by using this adhesive. Moreover, a
molding is fitted into the outer periphery portion of the
windshield glass in order to improve appearance of the outer
periphery portion of the windshield glass.
[0006] In the front structure of a vehicle constructed as above,
the width of the front corner member is 40 to 58 mm when viewed
from a driver seated in a driver's seat of the vehicle. Therefore,
when the driver of the vehicle focuses his both eyes to a target
outside diagonally right in front of the vehicle in order to turn
right at an intersection, for example, the relatively narrow front
corner member close to him looks blurred due to parallax, and the
target beyond the front corner member is not obstructed by the
front corner member and thereby the driver can see a continuous
visual field from the front of the vehicle to the right side. As a
result, the driver of the vehicle does not have to move his upper
body right or left in order to visually check the other side of the
front corner member but the driver can surely check the target
outside the vehicle visually only by looking straight at the
direction of the front corner member by moving only his head.
[0007] On the other hand, in order to bond the windshield glass to
a front pillar and the like, the windshield is positioned, and in
order to prevent the windshield from moving before hardening of the
adhesive, the windshield glass is mounted to the opening of the cab
at the time of bonding the windshield glass. In this conventional
glass mounting structure, as shown in FIG. 10, a bolt 3 is fastened
to a glass 1 through a bracket 2 machined in a hat shape, a
mounting hole 4a is formed at a front pillar 4 and the like opposed
to this bolt, the bolt 3 is inserted into the mounting hole 4a and
a nut 6 is screwed so as to bring the glass 1 into close contact
with a mounting portion made of the front pillar 3 and the like, so
that the glass 3 is mounted.
[0008] Patent Document 1
[0009] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2006-96270 (Claim 1, paragraphs [0007], [0008], [0011] to
[0013])
[0010] However, in case the glass 1 is brought into close contact
with the mounting portion made of the front pillar 4 and the like
by inserting the bolt 3 fixed to the glass 1 into the mounting hole
4a and screwing the nut 6, i.e. in case the glass 1 and the
mounting portion at the front pillar 4 are not in parallel with
each other due to a manufacturing error, so that they are inclined
and thereby cannot be brought into close contact with each other as
shown in FIG. 10, there has been a problem that if the nut 6 is
screwed with the bolt 3, the glass 1 to which the bolt 3 is
fastened is to be brought into close contact with the mounting
portion, which might break the glass 1.
[0011] On the other hand, with respect to the front pillar 4 to
which the glass 1 is bonded, it is preferable to make the pillar
width narrow when it is seen by a driver, since the visual field of
the driver is widened, but if the bolt 3 is fixed to the side
portion of the windshield glass 1, it becomes necessary to form a
mounting portion at the front pillar 4 opposed to the bolt 3, which
might lead to a problem that the width of the front pillar 4 seen
from the driver is expanded.
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass
mounting structure that enables a glass to be mounted, preventing
the breakage thereof even if the glass is not in parallel with a
mounting portion of a front pillar.
[0013] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
glass mounting structure that enables a windshield glass to be
mounted to a front pillar without expanding the width of the front
pillar when seen by a driver.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] An invention of claim 1 is, as shown in FIG. 1, improvement
of a glass mounting structure in which a locking member 52 is
provided at a glass 13 closing an opening portion 11a in a cab 11,
a mounting portion 54 opposed to the locking member 52 is formed at
the opening portion 11a, and a locked member 57 is provided for
mounting the glass 13 at the opening portion 11a by locking the
locking member to the mounting portion 54.
[0015] The characteristic construction consists in that the locked
member 57 is held by the locking member 52 so that the locking
member 52 is movable with respect to the mounting member 54.
[0016] In the mounting structure described in claim 1, since the
locked member 57 is held by the locking member 52 so that the
locking member 52 is movable with respect to the mounting portion
54. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, even if the glass
13 and the mounting portion 54 are not in parallel with each other
due to a manufacturing error so that the glass 13 and the mounting
portion 54 are inclined and thereby cannot be brought into close
contact with each other, the glass 13 to which the locking member
52 is fastened is not brought into close contact with the mounting
portion 54 and not deformed. Thus, breakage of the glass 13 caused
by the deformation can be effectively prevented.
[0017] An invention of claim 2 is, as shown in FIG. 6, improvement
of a glass mounting structure in which locking members 51, 52 are
provided at the windshield glass 13 closing the opening portion 11a
at a front portion of the cab 11, mounting portions 53, 54 opposed
to the locking members 51, 52 are formed at the opening portion
11a, and the windshield glass 13 is mounted at the opening portion
11a by locking the locking members 51, 52 to the mounting portions
53, 54.
[0018] The characteristic construction consists in that the locking
members 51, 52 are provided at least either of a lower part inner
surface or an upper part inner surface in the side portion of the
windshield glass 13.
[0019] In the glass mounting structure described in claim 2, there
is no need to provide a mounting portion at a portion where a
center portion in the side portion of the windshield glass 13 is to
be bonded. Therefore, the windshield glass 13 can be mounted
without expanding the width of the front pillar to which the center
portion in the side portion of the windshield glass is to be bonded
when seen from a driver seated in a driver's seat.
[0020] As mentioned above, according to the present invention,
since the locked member is held by the locking member so that the
locking member mounted at the glass is movable with respect to the
mounting portion on the cab side. Therefore, for example, even if
the glass and the mounting portion are not in parallel with each
other due to a manufacturing error so that they are inclined and
can not be brought into close contact with each other, the glass to
which the locking member is fastened is not brought into close
contact with the mounting portion or not deformed. Thus, breakage
of the glass caused by the deformation can be effectively
prevented.
[0021] On the other hand, if the locking member for mounting the
windshield glass to the cab is provided at least one of the lower
part inner surface or the upper part inner surface in the side
portion of the windshield glass, there is no need to provide the
mounting portion at a portion where the center portion in the side
portion of the windshield glass is to be bonded. Therefore, the
windshield glass can be mounted without expanding the width of the
front pillar to which the center portion in the side portion of the
windshield glass is to be bonded when seen from a driver seated in
a driver's seat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a B-B sectional view illustrating a glass mounting
structure of an embodiment in the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 2 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1,
illustrating a state where a windshield glass and a mounting
portion are not in parallel with each other;
[0024] FIG. 3 is an A-A sectional view of FIG. 7;
[0025] FIG. 4 is a C-C sectional view of FIG. 7;
[0026] FIG. 5 is a D-D sectional view of FIG. 4;
[0027] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an essential part
of a cab front portion;
[0028] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an essential part of a truck
including a front corner member;
[0029] FIG. 8 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, in which
a spacer is fitted into a male screw portion;
[0030] FIG. 9 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, in which
a stepped nut is used as a locked member;
[0031] FIG. 10 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1,
illustrating a conventional glass mounting structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0032] A best mode for carrying out the present invention will be
described referring to the attached drawings.
[0033] As shown in FIG. 7, a driver's seat, not shown, where a
driver is seated, is provided on the right side of a cab 11 of a
truck 10, and an opening 11a on the front surface of the cab 11 is
closed by a transparent windshield 13. Also, a side opening 11b
through which the driver gets on/off the vehicle is provided on the
side surface on the driver's seat side of the cab 11, and this side
opening 11b is closed by a side door 14, capable of being kept
open. The side door 14 comprises a door body 14a, a door frame 14c
provided on the upper surface of this door body 14a and formed
substantially in the inverted U-shape so as to form a door window
14b, and a transparent side glass 14d closing the door window 14b,
capable of being kept open. In this embodiment, description is made
using the truck 10 in which the driver's seat is provided on the
right side of the cab 11, but the present invention may be applied
to a truck 10 in which the driver's seat is provided on the left
side of the cab 11.
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the front portion of the side
glass 14d is surrounded by a glass run 14f, and the glass run 14f
is attached to a glass frame 14e in order to hold and guide the
side glass 14d. On the other hand, the door frame 14c is formed by
bonding a door inner panel 14g and a door outer panel 14h together.
And the glass frame 14e is attached by insertion to the door frame
14c, and a front pillar 17 is provided along the right side portion
of the windshield glass 13 and the front portion of the side glass
14d between the door frame 14c and the right side portion of the
windshield glass 13.
[0035] The front pillar 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape
extending substantially in the vertical direction, for example, by
bonding both side portions of a pillar inner panel 31 and both side
portions of a pillar outer panel 32. Thus, the cross section of the
front pillar 17 is formed in a closed section. The pillar inner
panel 31 comprises a pillar inner body 31a provided along the
visual line direction of the driver seated in the driver's seat of
the truck 10, a front inner flange 31b formed integrally with the
pillar inner body 31a on the front portion of the pillar inner body
31a, and a rear inner flange 31c formed integrally with this pillar
inner body 31a on the rear portion of the pillar inner body 31a.
The front inner flange 31b is provided inside the cab 11 with a
predetermined gap from the inner surface of the windshield glass 13
and extending substantially in parallel with the inner surface of
the windshield glass 13 toward the side portion of the windshield
glass 13 i.e. it is provided extending in the direction approaching
the door frame 14c. Also, the rear inner flange 31c is provided
inside the cab 11 with a predetermined gap from the inner surface
of the door frame 14c and extending substantially in parallel with
the inner surface of the door frame 14c rearward.
[0036] On the other hand, the pillar outer panel 32 comprises a
pillar outer body 32a provided substantially opposite to the front
surface of the door frame 14c, a front outer flange 32b formed
integrally with this pillar outer body 32a on the front portion of
the pillar outer body 32a, and a rear outer flange 32c formed
integrally with this pillar outer body 32a on the rear portion of
the pillar outer body 32a. The front outer flange 32b is provided
inside the cab 11 with a predetermined gap from the inner surface
of the windshield glass 13 and extending substantially in parallel
with the inner surface of the windshield glass 13 to the direction
opposite to the side portion of the windshield glass 13, i.e., it
is provided extending in the direction away from the door frame
14c. The rear outer flange 32c is provided inside the cab 11 with a
predetermined gap from the inner surface of the door frame 14c and
extending substantially in parallel with the inner surface of the
door frame 14c rearward.
[0037] A front overlap portion 33 is formed by bonding the pillar
outer surface of the front inner flange 31b and the pillar inner
surface of the front outer flange 32b, and a rear overlap portion
34 is formed by bonding the pillar inner surface of the rear inner
flange 31c and the pillar inner surface of the rear outer flange
32c. In other words, it is preferable that the front overlap
portion 33 is formed by bending the pillar inner panel 31 and the
pillar outer panel 32 so that the end face of the front inner
flange 31b and the end face of the front outer flange 32b are faced
in the direction opposite to each other and by bonding the flanges
31b and 32b in this state, and the rear overlap portion 34 is
formed by bending the pillar inner panel 31 and the pillar outer
panel 32 so that the end face of the rear inner flange 31c and the
end face of the rear outer flange 32c are faced in the same
direction and bonding the flanges 31c and 32c in this state.
Preferably, a laser welding method is used for bonding the front
overlap portion 33 and a spot welding method for bonding the rear
overlap portion 34.
[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, a roof panel 41 is connected to an upper
portion of the pillar outer panel 32 and a cowl outer panel 42 is
connected to a lower portion of the pillar outer panel 32. Though
not shown, a roof rail panel is connected to an upper portion of
the pillar inner panel 31 through a roof side inner panel, and a
cowl inner panel is connected to a lower portion of the pillar
inner panel 31. At the front portion of the roof panel 41, an upper
outer flange 41a along the upper portion of the windshield glass 13
is provided, while at the upper portion of the cowl outer panel 42,
a lower outer flange 42a along the lower portion of the windshield
glass 13 is provided. And the inner surfaces of the upper portion
and the lower portion of the windshield glass 13 are bonded to the
upper outer flange 41a and the lower outer flange 42a,
respectively. The inner surface of the side portion of the
windshield glass 13 is bonded to the front overlap portion 33 in
the front pillar 17.
[0039] Returning to FIGS. 1 to 4, the front overlap portion 33 in
the front pillar 17 is provided along a glass mounting portion on
the inner surface in the side portion of the windshield glass 13.
In other words, the side portion inner surface of the windshield
glass 13 is mounted on the pillar outer surface of the front
overlap portion 33. Specifically, a glass adhesive 36 is filled in
a gap between the front overlap portion 33 and the inner surface of
the windshield glass 13, and the side portion inner surface of the
windshield glass 13 is mounted to the front pillar 17 by using the
adhesive 36. Thus, since the adhesion surface of the windshield
glass 13 is made in a double structure of the front inner flange
31b and the front outer flange 32b, the rigidity of the adhesion
surface of the glass 13 can be improved. And a weather strip 37 is
bonded to the door inner panel 14g. The weather strip 37 has its
tip end brought into contact with the pillar outer body 32a of the
front pillar 17 in the state where the side door 14 is closed and
covers the gap between the front pillar 17 and the door frame
14c.
[0040] Reference numeral 38 in FIGS. 1 to 4 denotes a molding
fitted to the outer periphery portion of the glass 13 in order to
improve the appearance of the outer periphery portion of the
windshield glass 13. Also, a pillar garnish 38 is provided on the
pillar outer surface of the pillar inner body 31a. The front
portion of the pillar garnish 39 is provided close to the
windshield glass 13, and the rear portion of the pillar garnish 39
is provided so as to be brought into contact with the pillar outer
surface of the rear inner flange 31c.
[0041] In this truck 10, as mentioned above, the inner surfaces of
the upper portion and the lower portion of the windshield glass 13
are bonded to the upper outer flange 41a and the lower outer flange
42a, respectively, and the inner surface of the side portion of the
windshield glass 13 is bonded to the front overlap portion 33 in
the front pillar 17 so that the periphery of the windshield glass
13 is bonded to the periphery of the front opening 11a. And locking
members 51, 52 are provided for preventing the windshield glass 13
from moving while the adhesive 36 for bonding the windshield glass
13 is hardened.
[0042] As shown in detail in FIG. 6, the locking members 51, 52 are
provided at the windshield glass 13 closing the front opening 11a
in the cab 11. This embodiment shows a case where the locking
members 51, 52 are provided at both of the lower portion inner
surface and the upper portion inner surface in the side portion of
the windshield glass 13. On the other hand, mounting portions 53,
54 opposed to the locking members 51, 52 are formed at the opening
portion 11a of the cab 11. The mounting portions 53, 54 in this
embodiment are formed by extending into the opening 11a the upper
portion and the lower portion of the front pillar 17, that is, the
upper portion and the lower portion in the front outer flange 32b
of the pillar outer panel 32 constituting the front pillar 17. And
at the mounting portions 53, 54 formed at the upper portion and the
lower portion of the front pillar 17, mounting holes 53a, 54a
through which the locking members 51, 52 can be inserted are
formed, respectively.
[0043] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the locking member 51 provided on
the lower portion inner surface in the side portion of the
windshield glass 13 is a clip 51 made of a resin and provided with
a base portion 51a bonded to the windshield glass 13 and a
projection portion 51b installed upright at the base portion 51a
and having its tip end oriented toward the opening portion 11a. As
shown in FIG. 5 in detail, a cut-out notch 51d locked by a hole
edge of the mounting hole 53a is formed at the projection portion
51b in the state that the projection portion 51b is inserted into
the mounting hole 53a in the mounting portion 53. Therefore, the
projection portion 51b of the clip 51, which is the locking member,
is inserted into the mounting hole 53a and the cut-out notch 51d is
locked by the hole edge of the mounting hole 53a, so that the lower
portion of the windshield glass 13 can be mounted to the lower
portion of the opening portion 11a. Here, reference numeral 51c in
the figure denotes a hollow portion that enables deformation of the
cut-out notch 51d.
[0044] As shown in FIG. 1, the locking member 52 is a so-called
stepped bolt provided at the upper portion inner surface in the
side portion of the windshield glass 13 and has a bolt head portion
52a, a columnar stepped portion 52b formed on the center axis of
the head portion 52a, and a male screw portion 52c formed
continuing to the stepped portion 52b coaxially with the stepped
portion 52b. The stepped bolt 52 is fastened to the upper portion
inner surface of the windshield glass 13 through a bracket 56
formed by bending a steel plate into a hat shape. The bolt head
portion 52a is welded to the bracket 56, and the bracket 56 is
bonded to the windshield glass 13 so that the male screw portion 52
is oriented toward the opening portion 11a. Here, a height H of the
stepped portion 52b is formed slightly higher than a sum b of the
thickness of the front outer flange 32b and the thickness of the
bracket 56 forming the mounting portion, and an outer diameter of
the mounting hole 54a is formed slightly larger than the outer
diameter of the stepped portion 52b. The locked member 57 is
provided for mounting the glass 13 to the opening portion 11a by
locking the locking member made of the stepped bolt 52 by the
mounting portion 54. The locked member 57 in this embodiment is a
nut capable of being screwed with the male screw portion 52c, and a
nut with flange 57, which is a locked member, is shown in the
figure. Therefore, the male screw portion 52c of the stepped bolt
52, which is the locking member, is inserted into the mounting hole
54a and then, the stepped portion 52b is inserted into the mounting
hole 54a. Next, by screwing the nut 57 with the male screw portion
52c, it is locked by the stepped bolt 52, which is a locking
member. Thus, the stepped bolt 52, which is the locking member, is
held by the mounting portion 54, and it is constructed so that the
upper portion of the windshield glass 13 can be mounted to the
upper portion of the opening portion 11a.
[0045] When the nut 57 screwed with the male screw portion 52c is
brought into contact with the stepped portion 52b, it will not move
any more, and the nut 57, which is the locked member, is fastened
to the stepped bolt 52, which is the locking member. Here, since
the height H of the stepped portion 52b is formed slightly higher
than the sum b of the thickness of the front outer flange 32b and
the bracket 56 forming the mounting portion 54, the nut 57, which
is the locked member, is fastened to the stepped bolt 52, which is
the locking member in the state where the stepped bolt 52, which is
the locking member, is movable with respect to the mounting portion
54 by an amount equal to a difference obtained by subtracting the
thickness of the front outer flange 32b and the thickness of the
bracket 56 from the height H of the stepped portion 52b.
[0046] In the glass mounting structure constructed as above, the
nut 57 screwed with the male screw portion 52c is brought into
contact with the stepped portion 52b and in that state, the nut 57,
which is the locked member, is fastened to the stepped bolt 52,
which is the locking member. And when the nut 57, which is the
locked member, is fastened to the stepped bolt 52, which is the
locking member, the stepped bolt 52 is held in the state that it is
capable of slight movement with respect to the mounting portion 54.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, even if the windshield
glass 13 and the mounting portion 54 are not in parallel with each
other due to a manufacturing error, inclined and can not be brought
into contact with each other and even if the nut 57 is screwed with
the bolt 52, the windshield glass 13 to which the bolt 52, which is
the locking member, is fastened is not to be brought into close
contact with the mounting portion 54 or to be deformed. Therefore,
such a situation that the glass 13 is broken when the windshield
glass 13 is to be mounted can be effectively avoided.
[0047] Also, in the truck 10 in this embodiment, there might be a
case where the cab 11 is tilted in the manufacturing process, but
even if the cab 11 is tilted before the adhesive 36 for bonding the
windshield glass 13 is hardened, the windshield glass 13 is kept in
the state that the front opening portion 11a is closed by the
locking members 51, 52. Therefore, it becomes possible to lay out
an assembling line in which the cab 11 is tilted before the
adhesive 36 for bonding the windshield glass 13 is hardened, which
can increase degree of freedom in the assembling line process than
before.
[0048] On the other hand, since the locking members 51, 52 for
mounting the windshield glass 13 to the opening portion 11a of the
cab 11 is provided at least one of the lower portion inner surface
and the upper portion inner surface in the side portion of the
windshield glass 13 or both of the lower portion inner surface and
the upper portion inner surface in this embodiment, the front outer
flange 32b in the side portion of the windshield glass 13 does not
have its center portion in the vertical direction protrude toward
the center in the width direction of the windshield glass 13.
Therefore, by having the pillar inner body 31a substantially in
parallel with the visual line of the driver seated in the driver'
seat in the truck directed toward the pillar inner body 31a, when
the width of the front corner member 16 made of the front pillar 17
and the door frame 14c when seen by the driver seated in the
driver's seat of the truck 10 is made as M, the width M of the
front corner member 16 seen from the driver can be made narrow.
Also, since the front pillar 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape by
the pillar inner body 31a, the pillar outer body 32a, the front
overlap portion 33, and the rear overlap portion 34, even if the
width M of the front corner member 16 is made narrow, predetermined
rigidity of the front pillar 17 can be ensured. As a result, while
the rigidity of the front pillar 17 is maintained, the width seen
from the driver can be made narrow and the width of the front
visual field of the driver can be expanded.
[0049] Also, by providing the locking members 51, 52 at least at
one of the lower portion inner surface and the upper portion inner
surface in the side portion of the windshield glass 13, the
mounting portions 53, 54 opposed to the locking members 51, 52 are
formed at the upper portion and the lower portion of the front
pillar 17, so that the formation of the mounting portions 53, 54
makes the pillar shape larger, and the rigidity of the front pillar
17 can be further improved. Also, joining rigidity between the
pillar 17 and the other roof members can be improved.
[0050] In the above embodiment, it is described that the locking
member 52 made of a stepped bolt is the structure in which the
locking member 52 is movably fastened to the locked member 57 with
respect to the mounting portion 54, but as shown in FIG. 8, when a
normal bolt made of a bolt head portion 62a and a full-screw male
screw portion 62b is used as a locking member 62, a cylindrical
spacer 63 may be fitted into the bolt 62. The cylindrical spacer 63
in this case has an inner diameter slightly larger than the male
screw portion 62b, and the height H of the spacer 63 is formed
slightly higher than the sum b of the thickness of the front outer
flange 32b and the bracket 56 forming the mounting portion 54. And
the outer diameter of the mounting hole 54a is formed slightly
larger than the outer diameter of the spacer 63. In this
construction, the male screw portion 62b of the bolt 62, which is
the locking member, is inserted into the mounting hole 54a, and the
spacer 63 fitted into the male screw portion 62b is inserted into
the mounting hole 54a. And the nut 57 is screwed with the male
screw portion 62b and locked by the bolt 62, which is the locking
member. The nut 57 screwed with the male screw portion 62b is
brought into contact with the spacer 63 and thereby is not moved
any more, so that the nut 57, which is the locked member, is held
by the bolt 62, which is the locking member. Here, since the height
of the spacer 63 is formed slightly higher than the sum b of the
thickness of the front outer flange 32b and the bracket 56, the nut
57, which is the locked member, is held by the stepped bolt 62,
which is the locking member, in the state that the bolt 62, which
is the locking member, is movable with respect to the mounting
portion 54.
[0051] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, when a normal bolt made of the
bolt head portion 62a and the full-screw male screw portion 62b is
used as the locking member 62, a so-called stepped nut 67 may be
used as a locked member. The stepped nut 67 shown in FIG. 9
coaxially comprises a nut body 67a, a disk-state flange portion 67b
formed so as to overlap the nut body 67a, and a columnar stepped
portion 67c formed continuing to the flange portion, and the male
screw is inserted into their center axes for the formation thereof.
The height H of the stepped portion 67c in this case is formed
slightly higher than the sum b of the thickness of the front outer
flange 32b and the bracket 56 forming the mounting portion 54. And
the outer diameter of the mounting hole 54a is formed slightly
larger than the outer diameter of the stepped portion 67c. In this
construction, the male screw portion 62b of the bolt 62, which is
the locking member, is inserted into the mounting hole 54a, and the
nut 67 is screwed with the male screw portion 62b from the stepped
portion 67c side so as to be locked by the bolt 62, which is the
locking member. The stepped nut 67, which is the locked member,
screwed with the male screw portion 62b has the tip end of the
stepped portion 67c brought into contact with the bracket 56 and
thereby is not moved any more, so that the stepped nut 67, which is
the locking member, is held by the bolt 62, which is the locking
member. Here, since the height H of the stepped portion 67c in the
stepped nut 67 is formed slightly higher than the sum b of the
thickness of the front outer flange 32b and the bracket 56 forming
the mounting portion 54, the stepped nut 67, which is the locked
member, is held by the stepped bolt 62, which is the locking
member, in the state where the bolt 62, which is the locking
member, is movable with respect to the mounting portion 54.
[0052] In the above embodiment, the case is described that the nuts
57, 67 are screwed with the bolts 52, 62 mounted to the windshield
glass 13, but the nuts 57, 67 may be mounted to the windshield
glass 13 and the bolts 52, 62 inserted into the mounting hole 54a
of the mounting portion 54 may be screwed with the nuts 57, 67.
[0053] Also, in the above embodiment, the bolt and the nut are
exemplified as the locking member and the locked member,
respectively, but the locking member and the locked member may be a
dual fastener of male and female.
[0054] Moreover, in the above embodiment, a truck is exemplified as
a vehicle, but it may be a passenger car or a bus.
[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a vehicle having a
driver's seat on the right side, that is, a so-called
right-hand-drive car is exemplified as a vehicle, but the present
invention may be applied to a vehicle with a driver's seat on the
left side, that is, a so-called left-hand-drive car.
* * * * *